the gunman got away. and a maryland high school student has been temperatusent psychiatric hospital. his parents admitted the boy had access to weapons. a teacher reported the complaints to a school security officer who notified police. we are learning much more about a so-called lone wolf terror plot against landmarks here in new york city. prosecutors say the suspect fully intended to carry out the attack, but he didn't have cash on hand. here's abc's andy field. >> reporter: in federal court, prosecutors described the 20-year-old as a suspected lone wolf terrorist inspired by al qaeda. he allegedly traveled to new york city on november 24 as part of a plot to detonate a bomb there. he had not identified a specific target, but those he considered were times square, wall street, city restaurants and theaters. after four days of reas

reconnaissan reconnaissance, he returned to miami for additional planning. authorities discovered key bomb making components. according to prosecutors, all he lacked at the time was money. concern about the suspect reached the highest levels of government, with president obama among those briefed. adding to the drama, sources tell abc news, he slipped fbi surveillance to that trip to new york. sources say he had tried to contact overseas radicals, possibly connected to al qaeda. andy field, abc news, washington. the army is beginning an investigation of all of its child daycare centers around the world. that's 283 centers that will be reviewing hiring practices. it follows accusations that employees were assaulting children at a daycare center in virginia back in september. two army employees were arrested. the pentagon is expected to

order similar reviews in all of the other branches of the military. the late senator daniel inouye will lie in state tomorrow. a service will be held on friday. he died monday at the age of 88. he was a world war ii hero, a medal of honor recipient, and served in the senate for almost 50 years. and in a historic move, republican congressman tim scott will replace south carolina senator jim demint. announcing scott's appointment, nikki haley said she chose scott not to help diversify the republican party but because he's a strong advocate for the state. scott will fill the seat for two years and then face an election. demint is leaving the senate to lead a conservative think tank. and there is some new movement toward an agreement that would avert the nation's

plunge over the so-called fiscal chief. house speaker john boehner is offering his plan b. that would extend the bush era tax cuts for everyone making less than $1 million a year. democrats have already rejected that idea, but president obama now says he can accept less new tax revenue while extending those tax cuts for those earning less than $400,000. he wanted that number to be $250,000. that perhaps is the biggest development over the last few days, that the president has upped the bar -- >> from $250,000. he ran on the platform of $250, $250, $250. >> so there's still some wiggle room to be worked out. signals are they're getting there. but the progress a couple days ago seemed to fall apart. so again -- >> they're rehashing the same things over and over again. >> they are very far apart on this issue.

these negotiations reflect just how far apart they are and quite frankly how far apart the country is. a prechristmas storm is dumping heavy snow from the rockies into the plains and the midwest. winter weather watches and warnings have been posted today in more than a dozen states from nevada all the way to michigan. denver, des moines and omaha are bracing from 6 to 12 inches of blowing snow and winter, that's right, is not yet officially here. and the shovels and snow blowers are getting a workout in south dakota. sioux falls was blanketed by nearly four inches, and the weather was blamed for several traffic accidents. the next round of snow is expected to miss the area. here's the rest of your wednesday weather. aside from that blizzard, rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest, severe storms around st. louis, memphis, little rock and baton rouge. lingering snow showers in northern new england. in the northeast, midwest

and central plains, twenltss from billings and colorado springs and fargo. 80 in dallas and 75 in your favorite, rob, new orleans. >> i miss those 75s. police in spokane, washington, say they admire a store clerk's bravery but say you shouldn't follow his lead. a gunman tried to hold up a convenience store monday. >> he's waving a gun around. but when the clerk comes after him, the would-be thief takes off. the clerk takes him down right outside and others join in to keep him on the ground. the man was arrested and charged with attempted armed robbery. >> he ran after him. >> that's brave. there's brave and there's like -- >> did he own the store? >> i don't know. he owned that dude. that's all that matters. coming up next, questions about graphic video games and if they do influence young kids.

and the high stakes, high rise prison break 20 stories up thanks to a rolled up bed sheet. you're watching "world news now."

♪ i hear the train coming it's rolling around the bend ♪ ♪ and i ain't seen the sunshine since i don't know when ♪ >> we never see the sunshine on this shift. >> no. >> two notorious bank robbers

are on the loose after they make an unlikely and unbelievable escape from a high-rise prison in chicago. >> ben bradley has the story from chicago. >> reporter: the escape, as amazing as it was daring. two men, wiggling out of a five-inch wide window, then scurrying five stories down a rope made of bed sheets. >> i don't understand how they made it, because security is always busy in and out. but they gave it a lot of thought. >> reporter: guards last saw the convicts during a 5:00 a.m. head count. their escape, not discovered until the 8:00 a.m. hour. by 9:00 a.m., the two were spotted together 30 miles away in southwest chicago. >> both are convicted bank robbers and traditionally those are violent crimes. we don't know for certain they are armed but we consider them armed and a danger to the community. >> reporter: jose banks is one of the most successful bank

robbers in the chicago area in years. unafraid to wave a gun or use brute force. he stole $589,000 in a series of robberies. the feds are only recovered $56,000 of it, which means he may have access to as much as $500,000. at trial, banks had to be strapped to a chair to keep him from lashing out. >> wow. the boy is crafty. >> very crafty. >> he's good at his job. >> if they are captured, which they always are, generally, they face up to an additional five years in prison. so is it really worth escaping? >> amen. freedom is a beautiful thing. >> how did they escape? five inches? >> that must have hurt squeezing out of that thing. they must be tiny. first escape at that prison since 1985. impressive when it does happen. like you said, they always get caught. >> generally. >> they'll get busted at the

denny's. the capture is never impressive. still to come this morning, with no explanations for adam lanza's actions, america, of course, and so many folks trying to figure out exactly why friday happened. and now the debate on violent video games. do they play a role in violent behavior? we'll examine that issue, next.

while there is no evidence yet that suggests adam lanza played violent video games, his deadly shooting rampage started another debate about the impact violent movies and video games might have on young people. >> but are these just like the complaints of previous generations about tv or music? abc's neil karlinsky takes a look at both sides of the debate. >> reporter: across the country this week, america's love affair

with violence is under the microscope. two of hollywood's hottest new releases, both shoot them ups, "jack reacher" and "djingo on chains." they canceled premieres out of respect. then came a nighttime tv ad for the video game "hitman" which led david axelrod to tweet, shouldn't we quit marketing murder as a game? but america's kids went on their daily shooting spree. this is one of the most profitable and violent games, "call of duty." because the player takes on a killer's point of view. but is this just good fun? dr. chris ferguson has conducted a series of studies of 11 to

18-year-olds to find out what violent games do to them. his conclusion -- >> there's no evidence to suggest that exposure to violent video games is associated with violent criminal behavior. >> reporter: he has a name for the outcry over violent games that sometimes follow the mass shooting. he calls it moral panic. >> whenever a new form of media comes out, particularly that older generations don't use or understand, it's common for that new media to be blamed for a variety of social ills. >> reporter: but dr. victor strasburger says the video games are more real than anything before. he supports a finding that the evidence is now clear and convincing, media violence is one of the causal factors of real-life violence and aggression. >> kids spend an incredible amount of time with the media, 7 to 11 hours a day. they see increasingly violent

media. we all acknowledge that the media have an impact. >> reporter: so whose research to believe? who the judge? the u.s. supreme court already has. in striking down california's attempt at a violent video game law, the court had this to say about studies linking games to violent behavior. these studies have been rejected by every court to consider them, and with good reason. they do not prove that violent video games cause minors to act aggressively. >> as a society, if we focus in on the wrong issue, on something that is a red herring, that is not going to help anybody, that can distract the national conversation from serious issues. >> reporter: neal karlinsky in seattle. >> we want to know, are you rethinking your kid's video game habits? logon to weigh in. >> "the new york post" reported -- >> that's right, they're reporting that adam lanza's

mother was thinking about putting him in a mental institution, committing him and he found out about it and perhaps that is why the carnage ensued. >> and we've been wondering all along, the question why. that may be one of the answers. we'll be back.

now it's time for "the mix." you know i love this story because it's dear to me. >> extremely. >> apparently 2 out of 5 women admitted they often avoid going to the gym so they do not mess up their hair-dos. that is right. a study of women revealed 40% admitted to avoiding exercise because they didn't want to ruin their dos. i struggle with that. guy to the gym, everything is sweaty, and i even just ordered the save my do thing from an infomercial so that you can work

out and try to save your do. >> save my do. >> yes! because it's a real issue. >> you wrapped it around and did it work? >> any way. >> that would be a no. >> and according to this report, 75 -- the u.s. government recommends 150 minutes of exercise for women, and 1 in 4 admitted i can't do any exercise at all because i have to save my do. ladies, you know. >> that's ridiculous. >> it's true, though. >> come on, that's insane. >> it's true. sad news but good news here. we reported a few days ago that we had a new world's oldest woman at 115. her name was dina. she passed away on monday. she had a fever, and passed away, according to one of her relatives, her granddaughter

told us that. she just got the title, world's oldest living person two weeks ago. but unfortunately, she's no longer with us, at 116 years old. now a japanese man has become the world's oldest person. he's 115 years old. he is now the world's oldest. 14 grand, 25 great grand children, and he is now the world's oldest man. >> and he looks happy. >> every day is a gift at that age. >> i don't know if i want to live that long. >> depends on how your head is and your body. >> your body can't be so well at 115. >> he's trucking. tifinally, outrage. there's a magazine called "candy" and it's using a transgender model to pose as michelle obama. take a look at the picture. i think it's very flattering. the guns are there, michelle

obama's guns. i think it looks a little like michelle obama. >> really?

this morning on "world news now," fired up. the nationwide debate over gun control after friday's massacre in connecticut. >> from big companies to teacher's unions to capitol hill, the argument over assault weapons laws is being heard loud and clear. it's wednesday, december 19. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good wednesday morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. we'll hear both sides of the gun debate in just a moment. it's quite, quite a debate. then we'll take you live to newtown, connecticut for the latest on the investigation and

the security children are facing as they return to school this week. >> not many school districts in this country not reviewing their policies this week. >> no question about that. also this morning, can a tiny gunshot victim defy the odds? a baby girl shot in her mother's wound by the same gun used in connecticut. what doctors say about such violence they see every day. and the storm millions of holiday travelers need to keep an eye on. it's unleashed mudslides that wiped a train right off the tracks. >> look at that. but first, the nra is finally breaking its silence on the newtown shooting. the gun rights group is pledging to help make sure this never happens again. >> and the group will detail its position at a news conference on friday. we begin our coverage of the gun control debate with abc's chris cuomo. >> reporter: with each body buried, calls for change.

the white house voicing support for new gun laws and renewal of the assault weapons ban, weapons that fire bullets in rapid succession with each pull of the trager. and the business community also proving to be a potential catalyst. capital management announcing its sale in the stake of the biggest maker of assault rifles. the union representing california's teachers said it was reviewing its decision to invest $500 million with cerebus because of its connection to bushmaster. >> teachers feel strongly about this issue. >> reporter: advocates for gun control see these as strides in culture change, making assault rifles tabu. >> a lot of people are understanding it's not necessarily the dollar that counts, but the sense. the sense of what they're doing with their money, the sense of the types of we pops we're selling. >> reporter: but sales of assault rifles have jumped. so the question, is how deep is any change?

for answers, we go to those at the center of the controversy. the largest makers and sellers of assault rifles. >> i'm calling to see if basspro sharps, wal-mart. six states responded. none has followed california's lead yet. on the corporate side, dick's sporting goods reporting it's removing some models of assault rifles. the other major gun sellers, only walmart got back to us, saying no assault rifles are coming off the shelves. the ad was for the assault rifle used in that massacre. of course, this isn't about badgering the states or any of these companies but seeing what everyone can do to make sure that what happened in newtown never happens again. friday, the nra will have their press conference and we'll see what their ideas are to help make sure we can avoid massacres in the future.

chris cuomo, abc news, new york. >> it's amazing, the emotional and political fallout, and the economic fallout. >> and ultimately, these folks are in it for -- it's a business. but they need to be good corporate citizens. so we'll see a shift coming out of this. >> on multiple levels. the first funeral for a teacher killed in the shooting is today not far from the sandy hook school. >> vicki soto died while protecting her students from gunman adam lanza. abc's t.j. winick is live with more on this. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning, rob and sunny. authorities cannot say for certain whether sandy hook elementary will ever reopen. at a wake for sandy hook teacher victoria soto, hundreds stood in a line that wrapped around a funeral home in nearby stratford. >> vicki was the ringleader of the family, vibrant, full of

life. >> reporter: it was a somber day for many parents here in connecticut, who sent their students back to school for the first time since friday. sandy hook elementary remains closed. >> i'll always be worried, but now it's very bad. >> reporter: at st. rosa lima catholic church, back-to-back funerals, as the service ends for 6-year-old james mattioli, the small white casket is placed back in the hearse. several minutes later, another tiny white casket, this one for jessica rekos, is carried inside the church. two other young shooting victims, charlotte bacon and daniel barden, also had services. the body of 6-year-old emilie parker returned with her family to her home state of utah. in the neighboring town of monroe, volunteers continue preparing chalk hill middle school for the sandy hook students to attend. >> i definitely, at the very least, want to give the children the opportunity to see their new school and to let them become as

comfortable as they can. >> reporter: the criminal investigation is proceeding as authorities comb through every inch of gunman adam lanz aye's life, searching for clues that could explain what triggered friday's massacre. those sandy hook students will likely begin classes at that middle school sometime after the holidays in january. rob and sunny? >> t.j., friday marks one week since the shootings. are you hearing anything more about connecticut's day of sorrow? >> reporter: that's right. the governor is asking that this friday be recognized as a day of mourning here in the state. he's asking that there's a moment of silence at 9:30 a.m., marking the one-week anniversary of the massacre and also asking churches, other houses of worship and government buildings that have the capacity to ring their bell 26 times, one for each victim. >> certainly appropriate. and six more funerals on tap for

today, just no end to the grieving in that town. on another front, t.j., anything more we're learning about the past of the gunman, adam lanza? >> reporter: we now know actually that the computer in the lanza family home has been sent to quantico, virginia. there's where the fbi's computer lab is. we can tell you that agents specializing in data retrieval are looking at that computer, hoping to pull some information off the hard drive that could give us some answers as to why he went after that school last friday. but for now, it remains to be seen how much information they'll be able to glean. >> especially since it was damaged in the process. thanks to abc's t.j. winick reporting live from newtown, connecticut. a northern california college campus has been reopened after a security threat. san jose city college was on lockdown as police conducted room-to-room searches after a report of a gunman on campus.

but after an hour long search, nothing was found and the all-clear was sounded. a scathing new report about the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, claims failures of leadership and management created a lack of security at that facility. four americans, including u.s. ambassador chris stephens, were killed in that attack back on september 11 of this year. the independent report calls security at the benghazi consulate grossly inadequate and criticizes the state department for not better coordinating for what security was there and relying on local militias. but it does recommend no disciplinary action, at least right now. the report says the attack was the work of terrorists, and that despite those initial reports, there was tests outside the consulate before that attack. >> what i thought was interesting was our secretary of state's reaction. because ultimately, she is in charge of the state department. we know she's been suffering

from this concussion and many people have said, that was very convenient. >> right, questioning the timing. >> questioning the timing. but she says the accountability review board report provides a clear look at syria's systemic challenges that we've begun to fix and says i accept every one of them. so clearly taking responsibility for the state department and saying listen, we've already begun to fix these problems. >> that report did have this finding, the board did not find reasonable cause to determine that any individual u.s. government employee breached his or her duty. so they were assigning blame more to the system than any one particular person. >> which is good news for the secretary of state. i would imagine. out of syria and lucky to be alive, nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engle has a nightmare story to sell after he and his crew were kidnapped in syria. they were rescued by rebels

during a gun battle at a checkpoint monday night. the men were grabbed last week shortly after entering the country from turkey. they were blind folded, bound and threatened with execution, but never physically harmed. >> the last five days were very difficult. we're very happy to be out. we're very happy to be back in turkey. we love being here. we love this country. we appreciate all the help. the last five days are some days that we would rather forget. and if you can understand, we just came out now, we haven't even left yet, and we're very tired. >> he says his captors were loyal to president assad. syria is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. >> let's tip our hats to all of our journalist colleagues overseas. in other news, we're getting another look at damage from that

powerful storm in the pacific northwest. a giant 75-foot wide mudslide slammed into a moving freight train, knocking them right off the track. engineers had been scheduled to check the hillside, but they were waiting for the train to go by first. amazingly, no one was hurt. the latest storm to hit the southern california mountains is making it hard for drivers to get around, even with mandatory chains on their tires. but the resorts welcome the snow, as always. business has been booming with the influx of early skiers and snowboarders. that's one of the few ways snow is great. if you're in the mountains doing your thing, yeah, snow is wonderful. or if you're a kid off from school building a snowman, snow is a beautiful thing. other than that, not so much. coming up next, addressing a pr nightmare. instagram's solution to an instant resoelt. the all-out search for a hollywood feature film.

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welcome back, everyone. paramount studios is looking for a stolen movie reported on a

computer that may have been sold for $40. the unnamed movie was on a hard drive. it was stolen from a car in san francisco last month. now, two suspects were arrested after surveillance video showed them breaking into cars in a parking garage. police recovered all kinds of electronic devices but the hard drive may have been sold and the movie erased. >> the person who purchased it probably wipes it clean to get rid of evidence or that could have been done prior. and that's my sense of what happened. >> well, paramount is worried that someone may copy and distribute the movie if it still exists. there are no details about the actual content of the film. more trouble for toyota. now facing a record fine by the u.s. government. the automaker was ordered to pay $17.4 million for delaying a recall and for being slow to report problems to federal regulators. this is the fourth fine against toyota in the last two years.

analysts point out, though, this fine is a small fraction of the automaker's earnings. and talk about instant outrage. instagram, which allows you to dramatically enhance digital photos, ignited a social media rebellion when it seemed to suggest plans to start selling your pictures next month. thousands of angry users deleted their accounts. in response, instagram announced it will not sell your photos after all. so everyone, continue posting those pictures of your food. >> and all the daily minutia of your life that only your care about. >> it's interesting, because they say, well, people misunderstood the policy. by i've got to tell you, most times those policies are reviewed by hordes of attorneys and it's usually not misunderstood or misinterpreted. i wonder if it was that social media rebellion that woke people up. that shows you the power of the

people. the power of social media. i'm fascinated by that. still to come, we'll go back to our top story this morning. support worldwide for the victims at sandy hook elementary. >> but first, on the front lines of a war zone, doctors reveal how newer weapons are making their job of saving lives an uphill battle. you're watching "world news now." nf afc, offensive lineman, defensive tackles, quarterbacks and cornerbacks ar all living united. to ensure the academic success of millions of kids in our communities. all the way to graduation day. but that won't happen without you. so take the pledge at unitedw.org. make a difference in the life of a child. suit up likeour favorite nfl players, and become a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor with united way.

the heightened discussion on gun violence has revealed some disturbing numbers. 31,000. >> that's the number of americans killed last year, 60 times the number of troops killed in iraq and afghanistan the same year. >> on the front line of this war, however, are doctors. abc's matt gutman has more.

>> reporter: skylar davis was shot before she was born. >> the exit came right here. >> reporter: a four-pound victim shot while still in her mother's wound. just one of the countless victims caught in the american cross fire every day, in hospitals like this one in miami. jackson's rider trauma center. >> i had a woman eight months pregnant who was shot in her uterus. >> reporter: 600 gunshot victims were treated here just last year. so what do these men and women think must change now? who would want to see guns rid of entirely in this country? but these surgeons on the front line say the real solution might not be the gun at all. it's the bullets. >> we need a war on ammunition.

>> reporter: she says she can tell instantly when a victim comes in from an assault weapon instead of a hand gun. >> it looks like a bomb has gone off on the inside. >> reporter: she wants the bullets banned. not only do bullets travel about three times as fast through the lifl's longer barrel, but these bullets are designed not just to strike but to matter upon impact, causing extensive dang. and one more longer term solution. >> we need to bring survivors of gun violence to the table. >> reporter: she says just like victims of domestic violence or drug abuse or alcohol, patients who have been shot often caught in the cycle of violence should also receive counseling. skylar is too young to understand. her wounds will remain until she dies. matt gutman, abc news, miami. >> if you want another sign of the times in terms of the ripple effect of sandy hook, there's a company in salt lake city called

amendment two, and they manufacture what's body armor for kids, these bullet proof backpacks that they can wear to school. >> i can't believe we're there. >> they said we've sold in the past week what they usually sell in a month. we'll be back in a moment. [ female announcer ] think coarse facial hair removal has to be painful?

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♪ being a reporter sometimes means being places where people don't want you to be. and right now, there's a growing sense from many residents that newtown, connecticut should grieve without a spotlight. >> even a local newspaper there posted a facebook message, asking colleagues from the media

to simply stay away from the victims. no media, and no press signs are taped up throughout the town. the "denver post" reports the parents of a little boy who ran past the shooter before his classmates were killed also put up a sign. they say every time the doorbell rang, the little boy thought the gunman had found him. many communities are finding closer connections to newtown than they knew. >> in asheville, north carolina, residents released dozens of balloons remembering the victims. in particular, one, the child cough an asheville high grad. caroline previdi was the daughter of sandy johnson previdi who graduated back in 1991. her classmates reflected on their friend's loss. >> she was a graduate of asheville high. so that affected us even more so. >> it hits real close to home, it really does. i just want -- i hope the families to know that we're praying for them. >> sandy johnson is creating a

foundation in caroline's name. and in the spirit of the season, a message of joy to the town. >> from portland, oregon, 26 wreaths sent for each life lost. and also from stanford, north carolina, 26 christmas trees. firefighters helped line those trees along the entrance to sandy hook elementary school, and within an hour, they were all decorated. >> that's right. some of the decorations were provided by residents of long island, new york, who sent 26 christmas ornaments. >> i'm reading now online and twitter now that one way that people can kind of grieve and also honor the community and honor those victims is these random acts of kindness. i saw a friend who donated $260 to her favorite challenge. whatever you can do in the number of 26. so maybe that's a good way. if you're not there in connecticut to honor some of those victims. >> so many people feel connected to this story in many ways.

>> how could you not? it is a tragically human story. so whatever any of us can do, we shou

this morning on "world news now," powerful punch. the holiday storm strong enough to unleash a mudslide to derail a train moves from west to east. the heavy rainfall, the nasty snowfall and what all of that mess means to holiday travelers. it's wednesday, december 19. from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm sunny hostin in for paula faris. >> and i'm rob nelson. we'll show you the storm damage and also get the latest from accuweather coming up. we hate to see a big storm so close to christmas. >> but a white christmas.

>> it's pretty if you can get to where you need to be. we hope you have safe travels wherever you may be headed. also, a scathing new report on the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. the finger pointing from an independent investigation. a long-awaited report, highly anticipated report. interesting where they're laying the blame in all this. >> it's very interesting. also this morning, the gun debate from american board rooms to classrooms to capitol hill. one major motivating factor to change assault weapon laws is money. we'll explain. less than a week after that massacre in connecticut, we'll tell you who is behind a raffle to give away assault rifles. talk about interesting timing to say the least. >> timing is everything. >> ain't it? we begin with a powerful blizzard on the move this morning. up to a foot of snow and fierce winds whipping across a big

chunk of the nation. >> winter storm watches and warnings are in effect today from nevada all the way to michigan, and they're still cleaning up in the northwest. where the storm first blew in. here is the damage report. >> holy [ bleep ]! >> reporter: a strong storm is being blamed for this 75 foot mudslide that took out a train near seattle. john hill started recording when he heard the hillside rumbling. >> i thought the rest of the rail cars were going to pile up and come through the fence and get me. so i was trying to get out of the car. >> reporter: it's not just mud. the western region of the u.s. has been blanketed with heavy snow, rain and powerful winds that knocked down trees, power lines and created dangerous driving conditions. >> when i got stopped here, it started sliding backwards and i had no control for a little bit of time. >> reporter: at least 16 states have experienced winter warnings and watches so far this week. and as the weather heads east it continues to dump more snow,

making holiday skiers and snowboarders happy. >> i'm gearing up for a really good christmas. >> reporter: with that weather moving through, a travel warning to the 93 million people expected to hit the road this holiday. rob and sunny? >> thanks, brandy. travelers planning to fly or drive need to pay attention to this storm. >> oh, yeah. our coverage continues with jim dicky at accuweather. good morning, jim. >> good morning, rob and sunny. a storm system developing here. as we head through the day, coming into the central and southern plains. snow on the increase in the denver area, heavy snow and blizzard conditions developing. watch out here today. southern nebraska, northwestern kansas, central iowa, and the great lakes looking for a foot of snow in some cases, blinding snow and strong, powerful winds. rob and sunny, back to you. >> jim, thanks a lot. now to that scathing report

released about the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya. it claims failure of leadership and management created a lack of security at that facility. four americans, including the u.s. ambassador chris teaches, were killed in that attack on september 11. the independent report calls security at the benghazi consulate grossly inadequate and criticizes the state department for not better coordinating what security was there and for relying on local militias. but it recommends no disciplinary action right now. the report also says the attack was the work of terrorists and that there was no protest outside the consulate before the attack despite those initial reports. of course, now the reason that turned into such a political football, we saw what happened to susan rice and that's a reason perhaps why she got derailed as potential secretary of state to follow hillary clinton. so the report kind of blames the system, but not any one individual, but says repeated

requests for security were not followed by the folks on capitol hill, not by the state department or the white house. >> and secretary of state clinton at least has taken responsibility in a sense for the shortcomings and said we're already on the path to fixing this. that's a good thing for her, because many people are saying why didn't you testify in front of the committee about benghazi? >> she was sick, had a little stomach bug, had the confusion. but some folks said interesting timing on that, that you didn't have to go in front of congress. particularly if she is eyeing a run in 2016. she didn't want that sound bite to live on forever if benghazi -- >> the cynics. >> politics is a cynical business. but a task force has been formed to look at these issues. i think that group met for the first time yesterday. we'll see where it goes. there's growing political unrest this morning in egypt. ahead of a second round of voting on a new draft constitution, thousands of egyptians who oppose that constitution and the way it was written by supporters of

president mohamed morsi rallied last night. they're angry about accusations of ballot fraud in last saturday's first round of voting. 56% supported the new constitution last week. the second round of voting is this coming saturday. and a major new development in the terror plot we told you about a few weeks ago. a 20-year-old man from south florida, a naturalized citizen from pakistan, charged with plotting to carry out terror attacks here in new york city. we learned that he came to manhattan on november 23rd specifically studying times square, wall street, and broadway theaters. the nra says it's willing to offer meaningful contributions to ensure shootings like those in newtown never happen again. the gun rights group said it had been silent until now out of respect for the families. a major investment firm announced it's selling the biggest maker of the assault rifle. people see it as a step toward

making assault rifles tabu. >> at the end of the day it's not necessarily the dollar that counts but the sense. the sense of what they're doing with their money. the sense of the types of weapons we're selling to the general public. >> we'll hear more details about the nra's position at a news conference on friday. >> considering the mood of the nation right now and the mood of capitol hill, you have to wonder -- they have to pick their words very carefully during that news conference. they said nothing up to this point. even their facebook page had been taken down. so it's going to be interesting to see what those folks have to say at the end of the week. also, in newtown, friends and family are preparing to say goodbye to first grade teacher vicki soto, one of those hero teachers. her funeral is planned for later today. >> that memorial is part of an unthinkably somber week for newtown. abc's t.j. winick is there. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: good morning. officials still aren't sure if sandy hook elementary will ever reopen.

at a wake for victoria soto, hundreds of mourners stood in a line that wrapped around a funeral home in nearby stratford. >> vicki was the ringleader of the family. she was vibrant, full of life. >> reporter: it was a somber day for many parents here in newtown, connecticut, who sent their students back to school for the first time since friday. sandy hook elementary remains closed, and a second elementary school was kept closed for precautionary reasons. >> i will always be worried but now it's very bad. >> reporter: at st. rosa lima catholic church, back-to-back funerals. as the service ends for 6-year-old james mattioli, the small white casket is placed back in the hearse. several minutes later, another casket, this one for jessica rekos carried inside the church. two others, charlotte and daniel, also had services. the body of 6-year-old emilie parker returned with her family to her home state of utah. in the neighboring town of

monroe, volunteers continue preparing chalk ll middle school for the sandy hook students to attend. >> i want to give the children the opportunity to see their new school and become as comfortable as they can in that new area. >> reporter: the criminal investigation is proceeding as authorities comb through every inch of gunman adam lanza's life, searching for clues that could explain what triggered friday's massacre. those sandy hook elementary students will likely begin classes at that middle school sometime after the holidays in january. rob and sunny? >> thank you, t.j. one quick note to pass on. we mentioned this earlier in the week. new york giant victor cruz, he was the favorite player of one of the victims in that shooting, 6-year-old jack pinto. in fact, jack was buried in victor cruz's jersey. >> he also visited the family. >> he visited the family, went to the home of that family to visit with the grieving family members of that little boy, and we wanted to acknowledge that,

that he went out of his way and you saw the cleats on sunday, so it was good to see victor reach out to that family. well done and big fan of that little boys and vice versa. moving on this morning. a tea party group in asheville, north carolina is going forward with plans to raffle off two high-powered assault rifles, despite the connecticut tragedy. one of the rifles is similar to the one used in the school shootings. however, raffle organizers say the event called the great gun giveaway was scheduled weeks ago. they say gun-free zones don't work and refuse demands to call off the raffle. >> the only people that you are disarming are those that are going to be victims. >> this event is out of touch with the grief that we're all feeling. >> the announcement for the gun raffle was posted on the group's website on monday, three days after the school shooting. that speaks for itself. >> exactly. coming up, rumblings of a major shakeup involving your favorite late night tv talk show

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welcome back, everybody. a comprehensive report about cancer risks stemming from exposure to the post 9/11 world trade center site seems to ask more questions than it actually answers. the study by new york city's health department suggests possible links with prostate, thyroid and a type of blood

cancer, as well. but finds relatively few cancer cases among the nearly 56,000 folks who were studied. even the head of the study says the results "should be interpreted with caution." more than a dozen fraternity members surrendered to police to face hazing charges after a freshman drank himself to death at northern illinois university. prosecutors say 19-year-old david bogenberger died after being made to drink at the frat house last month. in all, 22 frat members are accused, including the house president. >> i think the criminal charges send an important message and lesson to everybody in college or just everybody generally who does anything that goes against the law. the fact that you are held accountable for your own actions and behaviors. >> the coroner says the blood-alcohol content was five times the legal limit. a southern california boy is under arrest for pulling off a series of so-called swabbing

incidents. those are dangerous hoaxes that targeted celebrities like ashton kutcher, justin bieber, among others. detectives say they have strong evidence the boy was behind phone calls and electronic messages that got police to respond to the fake emergencies at the celebrity's homes back in october. they did not identify the suspect. they did say, though, he's under the age of 13. potentially dangerous prank. >> very dangerous. coming up next, who is cashing in thanks to one of the wealthiest people in the high tech world? >> and how hollywood is putting a spin on the bill clinton presidency. that's coming up next in "the skinny." in "the skinny."

♪ bringing "the skinny" back for the first time this week. considering what was going on, we didn't think it was appropriate to do it too soon. so we're easing back to our normal routine today. let's start off with some very interesting dirt going on in the world of the late-night talk show hosts here. because apparently there was an article in the "new york daily news" suggesting that folks over at nbc are looking for perhaps a way to either push jay leno off "the tonight show" or at the very least make plans when his contract is up in 2014, suggesting that jimmy fallon

will take over "the tonight show," when ever jay's exit may come. this is based upon calls from various talent agents who handle the behind the scenes dirt. >> he's not giving up that spot. >> he's tough to kill. we know that about jay. his $15 million a year deal expires in 2014. so basically what you're watching is this push to getting younger viewers. abc is starting out by putting kimmel in "nightline's" old spot starting in january. maybe this is nbc's way of competing with kimmel by putting fallon on at that same time slot to replace jay or after jay leaves in 2014, if he leaves. but it's a long understanding in the industry that leno would not step down until dave letterman his archrival, steps down. and letterman is under contract until 2014. who knows how it will play out. but nbc shuffling that late night deck. we know how the last time went with conan. hopefully lessons learned over there at the peacock network.

but we'll see. talking about money, mark zuckerberg is planning a large gift to charity. get this, he's going to donate nearly $500 million in company stocks to a silicon valley charity with the intention of providing funds for health and education. so we're seeing that effort by bill gates and others, warren buffett, sort of the country's richest people donating most of their wealth to help others. so i say well done. >> that's his biggest donation ever. well done, mark. >> he's got the money. >> that's for sure. also on a sadder note, we wanted to let folks know that the public memorial for singer jenni rivera will be held today in southern california at 10:00 a.m. california time at the gibson amphitheater. the burial will be private but this is a chance for the public to grieve later this morning. she passed away in that plane crash on december 9. they're still trying to find out the cause of the crash. we wanted to send our thoughts and prayers to her family.

and to her many, many fans who i am sure will turn out today for that public memorial. and last but not least, hbo is going to present a documentary on our 42nd president, william jefferson clinton. and get this, it has been sanctioned by bill clinton, his full cooperation. my question is, rob, will we hear about monica lewinsky? >> how can you talk about the clinton presidency without the biggest scandal? >> he's really made -- he's made history so many times. he's got the clinton global initiative. and all these things. i wonder if it's going to even, you know, just mention it or delve deeply into it. >> if it's fair, it has to do more than mention it. you would think. and who plays monica? maybe one of the hbo interns. also, hbo is developing game -- the game change sequel "double down" and they'll go over the 2012 election between barack obama and mitt romney. so that is going to be very interesting.

>> that book "game change" about the '08 election was fascinating as was the movie. i think it won several awards. >> four emmys. >> now they're going to look at the romney-obama battle. hbo, should be hot, as always. we'll be back. we'll be back. it's time to change the way we clean.

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hey, insomniacs, you're watching "world news now." >> sleep is overrated. ♪ we wish you a merry christmas we wish you a merry christmas ♪ we wish you a merry christmas ♪ ♪ and a happy new year for many, the holidays can be a great time to take a vacation from watching what they eat or working out. >> and it's easy to do. we're busier than usual. food is everywhere. but there is a way to stay on track if you want to. here's dr. jennifer ashton. >> reporter: it's time to party. while it is the season to be jolly, it doesn't mean you have

to gain weight, too. i have some holiday traditions to keep from packing on the pounds. first, i work out for peace of mind. i drink lots of water to fill up and hydrate, because once the party starts, i plan to enjoy it. but it takes more than that to make good choices. i invited nutritionist kerry glassman to give my guests some pointers on how to be healthier. >> i'm so happy they have pigs in a blanket and cheese. but there are some other healthier options. what about if you went for a couple shrimp? >> reporter: 14 rimp are lower in calories, fat and sodium, making them a better choice. >> but dr. ashton also has a much better option of fruit and ginger bread cookies. >> can i have a tiny slice? >> go for those three bites with fruit and you'll be great. >> reporter: you never have to completely deprive yourself,

especially if you eat well the other 364 days of the year. >> how about this? >> you can have that instead of that. >> i mean, the whole thing. >> actually, just two cubes of cheese and a few raw veggies will fill you up and tide you over until dinner. so good food, smart choices and close friends can go a long way. >> salute. good health. happy holidays. god bless. >> dr. jennifer ashton, abc news, new york. >> nobody listens to that. >> yeah, i mean, i think you have to forget about the calories around the holidays. >> thank you. there you go. i come to a party festive and ready to rock. give me that drumstick, some eggnog, fried whatever. >> especially the eggnog. deviled eggs. >> love a deviled egg. >> you've got to eat all that. it's not christmas without it. >> look on the bright side, new year's eve comes, you'll throw it all up. more from abc next. >> this is abc's "world news

now," informing insomniacs for two decades. is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two decades.